


Look Me in the Eyes (Opia)

by GeoffsEightGreatestMistakes



Series: word inspirations [4]
Category: Falsettos - Lapine/Finn
Genre: Angst, Fighting, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 15:40:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11649621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeoffsEightGreatestMistakes/pseuds/GeoffsEightGreatestMistakes
Summary: Opia(n.)The ambiguous intensity of looking someone in the eye, which can feel simultaneously invasive and vulnerableExample: Marvin keeps his back to Whizzer when they fight, avoidingopia.





	Look Me in the Eyes (Opia)

**Author's Note:**

> I had an itch to write falsettos fanfiction… this is my first shot at writing these characters so I hope I got their dynamic.

It’s rare that they face each other when fighting. Marvin typically keeps his back to Whizzer; he pretends to be doing the dishes or folding the laundry or just fidgeting with something.

It’s one of his defenses-- keeping his back to Whizzer so Whizzer can’t see the emotions playing out across his face. Their ‘fights’ are rarely serious. It’s typically just loud bickering over useless topics. 

During today’s fight, Marvin can’t even remember what started it. It might’ve had something to do with Trina or Jason or Mendel… their names floated around for a bit, but they quickly vanished as their bickering changed topics. He wasn’t even sure when it started. Had they woken up and started bickering? Did they pause for Marvin to go to work? Or did it spark when he came home? It just felt like they had spent the day bickering, but at this point that was unfortunately nothing new.

Marvin lets out a frustrated sigh, but it doesn’t cut through Whizzer’s rant. He doesn’t even know what the hell Whizzer’s  _ talking _ about. Words are just flowing out of his mouth like some uncontrollable, overwhelming river.

He keeps his back to Whizzer so Whizzer can’t see the total confusion and pain on his face. He absently cuts vegetables for dinner.

_ Maybe that’s what we’re arguing about _ , he thinks.  _ Whizzer’s probably pissed I’m not… doing it right… or whatever _ .

“Are you even listening to me right now?” Whizzer cries out behind him. He’s pacing through the kitchen-- one end to the other, then back again.

“Yes I am.” Marvin says.

He’s not.

He’s listening to the click of the knife hitting the cutting board as he makes neat little cucumber slices. 

Behind him, Whizzer groans loudly. “Jesus Christ, I can’t believe you! What are we even arguing about then, huh?”

It’s a daring question. Whichever way Marvin chooses to answer, the fight will keep rolling. He could lie, but chances are he’d be wrong and Whizzer would get more upset. He could just shrug, which would make Whizzer explode into a topic he frequently lands on-- why Marvin is an asshole. He could try to defuse the fight, but lord knows Whizzer wouldn’t be happy with that and fight about him trying to back out. 

And it seems that Marvin has taken too long to answer-- his silence has drawn out too long and he can just  _ feel  _ Whizzer’s sharp gaze beaming lasers into the back of his head. If looks could kill, Marvin would’ve been dead the second he first met Whizzer.

“God you’re pathetic! You can’t even  _ look  _ at me when you’re ignoring me! You can’t even act like you're listening!” Whizzer throws his hands up. He marches up to Marvin, forcefully gripping Marvin’s shoulders and whirling him around. He presses Marvin back against the counter-- Marvin’s still got the knife raised-- and the two lock eyes. 

Marvin wants to implode. He wants a blackhole to open in his gut and pull him in from the inside out.

They lock eyes, and Marvin’s hand starts to shake. He suddenly realizes he’s still holding the  _ goddamn  _ knife, and quickly drops it on the counter. His eyes are as wide as saucers as they meet Whizzer’s narrow, steely gaze. 

The contact lasts for a few long seconds, before Whizzer slowly backs away; the fight visibly leaving him. In Marvin’s eyes, he can see vulnerability, fear, confusion. He feels brutal all of the sudden, for attacking Marvin like this. 

He feels his anger drain away, swirling away like it’s disappearing down a drain. His hands slide off Marvin’s shoulders. He takes a step back.

Their eyes are still locked.

“Marv...” Whizzer starts. Marvin flinches a little. Whizzer’s chest hurts at the sight of it. “I’m sorry.” 

Marvin wants to snap at him, tell him ‘ _ don’t _ ’, keep the fight going. But he doesn’t, just slowly nods, and lets Whizzer draw him in close, arms curling around his waist and pulling him in.

A heavy silence falls in the kitchen. If Marvin listens close enough, he can hear the echo of their fight.

This is when Marvin remembers why he keeps his back to Whizzer when they fight. If Whizzer saw just how much he felt each time their voices rose, then he would stop. He would stop fighting, lower his voice, apologize. They would never fight if Whizzer saw this. If they never fought, it would lead to the one thing that scared them the most: 

Passion dying.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey hit me up on [tumblr](http://geoffs-8-greatest-mistakes.tumblr.com/)! You can send me prompts or just talk c: 
> 
> (I feel like the last paragraph is just _boom_ mic drop haha!)


End file.
